Today we’ll tackle the hardest question you’ll be asked: “Do you have any questions for me?”

Many graduate programs require in-person interviews for admissions, and the most dreaded question that comes up is the one at the end: “Do you have any questions for me?” Today we’ll be discussing the purpose of this question and offer up some example questions you can ask if you have trouble coming up with one on the spot.

Why do Interviewers Ask This Question?

First and foremost, the reason interviewers ask “Do you have any questions for us” is so that you have an opportunity to clarify anything that may not have made sense during your campus tour or interview. Clear up anything that might’ve confused you (curriculum, funding, etc.), but try not to ask questions that could easily be found on the school’s website.

The second reason for this question is for the interviewer to determine how much interest you have in the program/interviewer. Questions demonstrate interest and sincerity, so use this opportunity to show how in love you are with the program!

What Questions Should I Ask?

Take a look at some of the example questions below for ideas on what to ask your interviewer at the end!

“What do you like most about [School Name/Department]?”

“How did you choose to focus your research on [primary research topic]”

“Is there anything you wish you could change about [School/Department]”

“What challenges have you faced during your time as a professor?”

“What do you think the biggest change to this field will be?”

“Are there any advisers I should avoid?”

Only ask this if you’re interviewing with a current student and you feel like you’ve built up a good rapport with him/her!

Just like how you wouldn’t go to an interview with formal wear, don’t go in without reviewing these common questions!

Today we’ll be following up last week’s post with questions we commonly see on the interview trail. Take a look at these and make sure you have solid, complete answers to these questions! You don’t want to be blindsided by one of these during your interview!

“Tell me about your research project”

“Tell me about a time when you had to overcome adversity”

“Tell me about a time when you had to work with a difficult group of people”

“What surprised you most about your time as an undergrad?”

“Why do you want to go into this field?”

“Tell me about yourself”

“How would your friends describe you?”

“What is your greatest strength?”

“Name some of your weaknesses”

“What did you enjoy most about your college/university”

“What do you plan on doing with this graduate degree?”

“Tell me about a time you lead a group”

“Why should we choose you?”

This last question is perhaps the most important here. You want to make sure you have your “elevator pitch” down solid because you will almost certainly be asked this question. Be able to summarize your strengths and why a school should choose you in a concise manner. You want this pitch to convey your academic prowess as well as why you would be a good fit with the school/department.

On every GRE Math section, the test makers try to come up with a few extremely difficult problems that will leave even the cleverest students scratching their heads. The really evil part, though, is that even these problems can be solved in under a minute without a calculator – if you know what to do. This means that once you “figure out the trick,” these difficult problems become easy. So, while those test makers are busy cackling with sadistic glee, let’s see if we can’t beat them at their own game.

Consider the following problem:

Out of 50 space cadets, 30 speak English, 20 speak Klingon, and 5 speak neither English nor Klingon. What is the ratio of those who speak both English and Klingon to those who speak neither?

A) 1:1

B) 1:2

C) 2:3

D) 1:3

E) 5:1

We know that the total number of space cadets is 50, and that the number of cadets who only speak English plus the number of cadets who only speak Klingon plus the number of cadets who speak both plus the number of cadets who speak neither should equal 50. The trouble is in figuring out how many cadets speak both so that we don’t count them twice. If we just add the 30 who speak English to the 20 who speak Klingon, we will have counted the ones who speak both twice. So, how can we prevent this?

By subtracting them. If we add the cadets who speak English to those who speak Klingon and those who speak neither but subtract the number who speak both, then we will have made up for double counting and the result should equal the 50 total cadets. If we let b be the number of cadets who speak both, then:

50 = 30 + 20 – b + 5

50 = 55 – b

b = 5

Set phasers to solve!

Since the problem asked for the ratio of those who speak both English and Klingon to those who speak neither, the ratio will be 5 to 5, or simplified, 1:1, which is choice A. If you know what to do, it takes only about 30 seconds to solve this problem. So you see, with practice, even the hardest problems on the GRE become easy. Check back here each week for more extra hard problems and the tricks you need to solve them! Also, remember that you can find out all the tricks from experts like me with a Test Masters course or private tutoring. Until then, keep up the good work and happy studying!

On every GRE Math section, the test makers try to come up with a few extremely difficult problems that will leave even the cleverest students scratching their heads. The really evil part, though, is that even these problems can be solved in under a minute without a calculator – if you know what to do. This means that once you “figure out the trick,” these difficult problems become easy. So, while those test makers are busy cackling with sadistic glee, let’s see if we can’t beat them at their own game.

Consider the following problem:

If the average (arithmetic mean) of four different positive integers is 5, then the least possible product of the four integers is:

A) 20

B) 84

C) 104

D) 480

E) 504

This one might seem like a hard nut to crack. After all, there are many possible sets of four distinct positive integers that have an average of 5. We could not possibly test them all one by one given the time constraints of the GRE. So how are we going to figure out which four integers are the ones that yield the smallest possible product?

Well, if we want the smallest product, then we want as many of the integers to be as small as possible. If the smallest of the three integers were equal to 1, then that would be great, since multiplying by one simply produces the same number and would thus not increase the product of the three numbers. Since the four integers must be distinct, we can make the second integer 2 so that it is also as small as possible, and by the same logic the third integer would be 3. All that remains is to determine the fourth integer, which we can find using algebra:

The fourth integer is 14, and the product is:

Logically, the answer must be 84, or choice B. If you are still feeling unsure, you could try a few other sets of four integers to see if their products are less than 84. What happens, for instance, when we increase the 3 to 4 and decrease the 14 to 13?

No, Magneto! We have to educate humanity, not destroy it!

Already, the product begins to increase. Try any other set and you will see that its product is greater than 84. It doesn’t matter that we decreased 14 to 13, because what controls the outcome in this problem is how small we can make the smallest numbers in the set. Thus, our original reasoning was correct.

If you know what to do, it takes only about 30 seconds to solve this problem. So you see, with practice, even the hardest problems on the GRE become easy. Check back here each week for more extra hard problems and the tricks you need to solve them! Also, remember that you can find out all the tricks from experts like me with a Test Masters course or private tutoring. Until then, keep up the good work and happy studying!

Today’s topic is one we see asked fairly often, so we wanted to address this multi-faceted problem and offer a few ways you can potentially skirt around grad schools’ requirements for letters of recommendation. It’s important to note, however, that this advice is primarily geared towards non-traditional students (i.e. those who have been out of school for a number of years and wouldn’t necessarily have the same resources as a current undergraduate or recent grad). If you are currently an undergraduate student or have graduated within the last 2 years or so, you absolutely must get those letters of recommendation! While non-trads may have a good excuse for not having LoRs, since they’ve been out of school for 5-10 years, admissions committees will be much more curious about a recent graduate who cannot muster up these documents.

That being said, here’s a few things you can do for those letters of recommendation

Take some time and do research: Whether as a research assistant or lab tech, doing paid research, even if only at minimum wage, allows you to form strong bonds with a professor who can then write you a letter of recommendation. Many professors are looking for a minimum 2-year commitment to research before taking anyone on, so this might not be the fastest route, but it’s certainly a surefire way to acquire a letter of recommendation when you might not have one, especially if you’re currently an undergrad scrambling to get letters.

Talk to old professors who may still remember you: This is probably the least desirable option, in terms of awkwardness and strength of the letter, but if worst comes to worst, you can try going back to your undergraduate institution to talk to an old professor. If you explain your situation, that you finally decided on applying to graduate school after some time away from academia, you may find some sympathy and have some assistance there.

Use your current employer: Some graduate programs do not specify who the letters of recommendation should come from, and if that is the case, you may be able to use a current employer as a reference. The catch is that this may not be as useful if you are not currently in a field related to your graduate program of interest. If you’re baking cakes, your head chef’s recommendation may not be useful for applying to a physics program, though of course it can still help in demonstrating your dedication and perseverance! If you’re working as an oilfield chemist, your supervisor’s recommendation may carry more weight for a chemistry Ph.D. program.

You don’t need a calculator to figure out how many graduate programs to apply to.

With admissions season quickly approaching, we wanted to answer a question we see fairly often: “How many graduate programs should I apply to?” The answer to this depends on each individual student, but a good rule of thumb is to try and apply to no more than 10 schools.

There’s a few reasons for this somewhat arbitrary cutoff:

You don’t want to overwhelm your letter writers: Each letter writer will have to tailor his/her letter to each school, and even if it is just slightly tweaking each letter for a specific school, that’s still a lot of work! Many letter writers we’ve talked to said they would not tweak more than 10 letters unless there was a very strong and compelling reason for them to. These advisors and professors are doing you a favor! Don’t make more work than is usually expected

You don’t want to spread yourself too thin: Submitting 6-10 strong, tailored applications is far more advantageous than submitting 10-15 less well-written applications. You want to ensure your applications reflect your high achievement and positive qualities, so you don’t want to overwhelm yourself with more applications than you can successfully complete. It’s completely understandable to want to spread your risk out and apply to more schools in the hopes of getting in to at least one, but this may backfire if you submit many low quality applications rather than few high quality applications.

You don’t want to apply to schools you don’t want to attend: Worst case scenario, you are only accepted to a single graduate program. Would you be willing to attend this institution? Don’t apply to schools you wouldn’t be willing to spend 4+ years of your life at! Don’t apply to programs where you wouldn’t be happy grueling in lab for hours on end. You don’t want to end up in a situation where you’re stuck in a program you despise, just because you were more afraid of not getting in at all! Make sure you would be 100% happy and content with attending each program you apply to.

Didn’t attend an Ivy League school for undergrad? Don’t worry! You still have a shot at attending a prestigious graduate program!

We get this question fairly often: “I went to a relatively low-ranked school. Do I have a shot at attending an Ivy League graduate program?” The short answer to this is yes, you do have a shot! The full answer is a little bit more complicated than that, so read on for more information!

How Much Does Undergrad Prestige Actually Matter?

Graduating from a prestigious undergraduate institution will not in and of itself grant you admissions into an Ivy League or similarly top graduate institution. What it will do for you, however, is give you a leg up on similarly qualified applicants. If you graduate with a 3.9 GPA from Duke University, and your competitor graduated from Greendale Community College with a 3.9, you’re definitely going to have an advantage there. Admissions officers will view your application in its context; a somewhat lower (~0.2 points, roughly) GPA from a highly regarded institution will likely be viewed more favorably than a somewhat higher GPA from a less well-known institution. Similarly, a letter of recommendation from a well-known researcher in the field will hold more weight than a letter of recommendation from a researcher who hasn’t published as much.

Well, What Can I Do About This?

Plenty! Not graduating from a “top” undergrad school doesn’t mean you don’t have a shot! Plenty of students from relatively unknown schools matriculate in top graduate programs, but you really have to prove yourself to do so.

Publish, publish, publish: For STEM fields especially, publications are key to success in graduate programs. Even getting last author on a paper is impressive as an undergrad, as it shows that you’re capable of finding and completing research, which is essentially the entirety of academia nowadays.

Find an advisor or professor who you can really get to know: You want a STRONG letter of recommendation going into your file, not a mediocre one. You want a professor who has known you for a while and who can speak to your strengths and character. This is usually only achieved through knowing an advisor for several years or by completing an intensive research project with him/her. Get working on that!

Maintain a high GPA: This is a no brainer, but you want to have as close to a 4.0 GPA as you can possibly manage. A 3.9 from an unknown school looks infinitely better than a 3.3 from a prestigious institution. You need to ensure that your GPA is high enough to hopefully counteract any bias the admissions council might have against your institution

Destroy the GRE: The GRE, as are all standardized tests, is the great equalizer in terms of admissions. It’s an objective standard by which all students are measured — no bias in terms of institution or curriculum here. Make sure to prepare well and absolutely dominate the exam so you can show admissions officers how rigorous your curriculum was and how much you’ve learned!

Remember when you took the SAT for the first time? You were so anxious because it was the SAT AND IT WAS THE BIGGEST TEST YOU WERE EVER GOING TO TAKE! And just as you got up to the front of the line to check-in, they asked you if you were taking an SAT II. A WHAT?!

And, indeed, it turned out that on top of the SAT reasoning tests there were other subject tests that were “optional.” Perhaps if you’re a strange Martian who is immune to the horrors of standardized testing, you were excited for another chance to show what you know, but more likely, your heart sank with the realization that “subject tests” meant that more future Saturdays would begin with your stomach in knots at 8 AM in a cold testing center.

You may have thought applying to graduate school would be more straightforward, but if you’re taking the GRE, you’re likely to find yourself at the same crossroads. Yes, luckily for you, if you’re applying to graduate school in the field of Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Literature (in English), Mathematics, Physics, or Psychology, you have the option to take a GRE Subject Test to support your graduate school application. The tests are administered in April, September, and October and scored on a scale of 200-990 in ten point increments. The Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology; Biology; and Psychology Tests all have subsections scored on a scale of 20-99 in one point increments. The question is, do you need to give up $150 and a weekend?

If you turn to Google for an answer, you’ll immediately find about 394 different opinions, and, if you’re lucky, two will be helpful. Of course the ETS (Educational Testing Service), the company in charge of administering the GRE, makes it sound like coughing up an additional registration fee to them is the best idea you ever had, while bitter graduate students who were burned by their own scores argue vehemently against the oppressive institution of standardized testing. Ultimately, you’re the only one who has all of the information to make an informed decision about whether or not you need to take the GRE Subject test for your field. With that in mind, here are some things to consider:

Did you check all the programs you’re applying to? Some programs require the GRE Subject tests as part of their application. Figure out if any of your programs require the test NOW! You’ll need to plan ahead if you’re going to study for a subject test while you’re preparing for the standard GRE.

“What if the program says the Subject Test is ‘Recommended’”? Here’s where thing get hazy. I mean, if it isn’t “required,” how recommended is “recommended”? Well, for one, how competitive is the program? If you’re applying to one of the top ten programs in your field, “recommended” probably might as well say “required.” But, again, reading through experiences on any graduate school/GRE forum will turn up examples of students who didn’t submit the “recommended” test scores and were unconditionally accepted by their programs as well as students who feel that their submission of said “recommended” scores is the only thing that got them an interview. Really, “recommended” means just that, “recommended;” yes, you can get into the program without submitting scores, but are you really putting your best foot forward if you deny information the program politely asked for?

What was your undergraduate program like? If you graduated with honors from the top undergraduate program in your field, you can probably save the $150. However, if you went to a small liberal arts school, you may be just as competitive an applicant, but, if they’ve never had an applicant from your school before, how will your dream program know you’re a star? It may not be the most glamorous option, but showing up at a testing center in sweatpants one extra Saturday may be the best way to show what you know.

What was your undergraduate career like? If you have a resume full of REUs, internships, and extracurriculars as well as glowing recommendation letters and a 4.0, you’re probably safe. However, if maybe your GPA could have been better, or you spent your summers working, or you majored in something else altogether in undergrad, a good GRE Subject Test score may help set you apart as a competitive applicant, especially among students who didn’t bother to send in a score.

How important is that $150? Students applying to graduate programs come from all different backgrounds. If you’re still completing undergraduate school, the time and money spent preparing for and taking yet another standardized test may simply be out of the question, and that’s OK. However, if you’ve set aside time to and resources to prepare for grad school, there’s no real reason not to take the test. GRE Score Select is available for the subject tests, so if you aren’t happy with your scores, no one has to see them!

How will the graduate program use your score? Some programs use the subject tests (particularly those with subsections) for placement purposes. Keep in mind, this could be one reason a program recommends but does not require scores. If you’re confident that your score will help place you out of some coursework, you could end up saving money in the long run; however, if this is the only reason you’re taking the subject test, you should try to figure out if any of the programs you’re applying to actually do use the test for placement purposes.

Important take away? Don’t stress over the GRE Subject Test! Yes, some programs require scores, but even so, your score will just be one number on a multifaceted application—probably the least important one! Remember, the nice thing about the subject tests is that they’re in your field; a little practice and preparation is really all you need.